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Recruiting NCT05556655

Brain Stimulation Effects on Cognitive Task Performance

No phase Interventional Cognitive Function

For patients and families

In plain language

An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.

What is being studied
The protocol lists: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.
Who it may be relevant to
Registry conditions: Cognitive Function. Basic parameters: 18 years — 65 years · All.
What needs checking
Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
Where it takes place
United States
Next step
Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →

Overview

The purpose of this study is to determine optimal task design parameters for the measurement of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) effects on cognition.

Detailed description

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive form of brain stimulation that relies on rapidly changing magnetic fields to influence neuronal firing rates. TMS can be used to temporarily inhibit or enhance the firing of populations of neurons located in the cerebral cortex. TMS-induced cortical inhibition versus enhancement is increasingly being used as a tool for exploring brain-behavior relationships and for improving cognitive functioning in people experiencing cognitive deficits due to neuropsychiatric illness (e.g., dementia and schizophrenia). However, important and unresolved methodological issues in this field concern the optimal design of cognitive tasks for TMS stimulation protocols. The purpose of this study is to determine optimal design protocols for online TMS studies of cognitive processes involved in attention, learning, and memory. Research participants will complete cognitive tasks while active versus sham (i.e., non-stimulating) TMS is applied to the brain. A factorial design will be used to determine the combination of task and TMS parameters (i.e., device settings) that produce the most robust and reliable behavioral effects.

Interventions

  • Device Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
    Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive method for stimulating neurons (axons not cell bodies) in the brain.

Primary outcome measures

  • Sternberg Memory Task (Accuracy) [Time frame: Single study appointment. 1 hour. There will be no follow up.]
  • Sternberg Memory Task (Reaction Time) [Time frame: Single study appointment. 1 hour. There will be no follow up.]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

  • Right-handed
  • Fluent in English

Exclusion criteria

  • History of seizures or epilepsy
  • Family history of epilepsy
  • Significant medical or neurological diagnoses
  • History of common headache or migraine
  • History of common or recent syncope
  • History of moderate/severe, multiple mild, or past 12 months head injury
  • History of psychiatric, psychological, or neurodevelopmental disorder
  • History of alcohol or recreational drug abuse or dependence
  • Current visual or hearing difficulties that interfere with cognitive testing
  • History of cochlear implants
  • Current pregnancy
  • History of metal in the head or neck (except braces and fillings)
  • Current non-removable piercings in the neck or head
  • History of implanted neurostimulator
  • History of cardiac pacemaker or intracardiac lines
  • History of medication infusion device
  • Current use of medications that increase the excitability of the brain
  • History of problems with TMS or MRI procedures
  • History of EEG for suspected epilepsy
  • Alcohol or recreational drug use in the 48 hours prior to TMS
  • Inadequate sleep in the 48 hours prior to TMS
  • Headache or feeling faint in the 24 hours prior to TMS.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: Yes

Study design

Allocation
Randomized
Model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single blind
Primary purpose
Other

Study locations

United States · 1 center
  • Colorado State University Department of Psychology — Fort Collins

Identifiers

NCT: NCT05556655 · 3502

Primary sources (government registries)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗